죽고 싶어?
jukgo sipeo?
The English phrase "do you have a death wish?" can be expressed in Korean as 죽고 싶어? (jukgo sipeo?)
This phrase is used rhetorically to warn someone that their reckless behavior is dangerous or to react to someone who is being intentionally provocative.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Do you want to die?"
Which one should you use?
For a more polite tone, you can use 죽고 싶어요?, though the underlying meaning remains highly aggressive or sarcastic. For a version that sounds more confrontational, authoritative or like a character in a movie, you can use 죽고 싶으냐?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 죽고 싶어요? adds the polite suffix -요 to make it grammatically polite, even if the intent is still aggressive.
How does it change in a sentence?
The grammatical ending changes the nuance of the aggression: using -으냐? instead of -어? makes the question sound more authoritative or confrontational, whereas adding -요 creates a grammatically polite version of the same aggressive sentiment.
How do you pronounce it?
jukgo sipeo?
Did you know?
- While the phrase is aggressive, a very similar structure is used in the common slang 배고파 죽겠어, which literally means 'I am starving to death' but just means 'I am very hungry'.
- Using the polite suffix -요 in 죽고 싶어요? can actually make a threat feel more chilling and sarcastic rather than more respectful.
- Among very close friends, the phrase 죽고 싶어? can lose its aggressive edge entirely and become a playful reaction to a joke or a prank.
Examples in context
- 너 진짜 죽고 싶어?neo jin-jja juk-go sip-eo?Do you really have a death wish?
Example conversation
Dohyun is shouting at Jieun for driving too fast.
- 도현 Do-hyeon운전 그렇게 하면 죽고 싶어?un-jeon geu-reot-ge ha-myeon juk-go sip-eo?Do you have a death wish, driving like that?
- 지은 Ji-eun미안해, 조금 급했어.mi-an-hae, jo-geum geup-hae-sseo.I'm sorry, I was in a bit of a rush.
- 도현 Do-hyeon정말 위험하다고.jeong-mal wi-heom-ha-da-go.I'm saying it's really dangerous.
- 지은 Ji-eun앞으로는 조심할게.ap-eu-ro-neun jo-sim-hal-ge.I will be careful from now on.
